Further Personal Information

Sport Specific Information

He began swimming at age seven in Denain, France. He began open water swimming at age 15.

Why this sport?

His father and brother were both swimmers.

Club / Team

Denain Natation Porte Du Hainaut [FRA] / Navy [FRA]:

Name of coach

Philippe Lucas [personal], FRA, from 2015

Training Regime

He trains in the pool for more than five hours a day, swimming 80km per week. His training also includes gym sessions and one hour of running.

General Interest

Nicknames

Marco (bfmtv.com, 16 Aug 2016)

Hobbies

Beach volleyball. (lavoixdunord.fr, 16 Oct 2017)

Injuries

He sustained an injury to his bicep muscle at the beginning of the 2017/18 season. (lavoixdunord.fr, 30 May 2018)

His training was disrupted ahead of the 2017 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, after he was diagnosed with a bone marrow oedema in his left foot two weeks before the start of the competition. He went on to win two gold medals and a bronze at the championships. (dicodusport.fr, 19 Aug 2017, 05 Dec 2017; fina.org, 01 Dec 2017)

Awards and honours

He was named the 2017 Male Open Water Swimmer of the Year by the European Swimming League [LEN]. (swimswam.com, 22 Jan 2018)

He was presented with the 2017 International Swimming Federation [FINA] Best Male Open Water Swimmer Award. (fina.org, 02 Dec 2017)

He was named Knight of the Order of Merit by the French government in 2016. (legifrance.gouv.fr, 01 Dec 2016)

Ambitions

To become Olympic champion in open water swimming, and to qualify for the 1500m freestyle event at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (ffnatation.fr, 20 Nov 2017)

Other information

NATIONAL FIRSTHe became the first French male open water swimmer to win a world title when he claimed gold in the 5km open water race at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. (SportsDeskOnline, 05 Jun 2018; fina.org, 01 Dec 2017)

FOLLOWING LUCASIn 2015 he relocated to Narbonne, France, to train under the guidance of French coach Philippe Lucas. "My results were not good enough. I knew I had the level but could not do something big. It was when I began training with Lucas that I started telling myself that I could reach the highest level." In 2017 he again followed Lucas when the coach relocated from Narbonne to Montpellier, France. (dicodusport.fr, 05 Dec 2017; midilibre.fr, 12 Dec 2017)